Fibre optic short link transmitter/receiver suits high-power applications

Paul Boughton
Avago Technologies is launching a 10 MBd HFBR-3810Z fibre optic (FO) short link transmitter/receiver for isolating frequency inverter and power converter applications. In some industries, fibre-optic technology is considered to be the preferred isolation technology to interface between low-voltage control logic or microprocessors and high-voltage power inverters and switching circuits.
 
The FO short link technology pin-to-pin distance of 24.96mm provides transient voltage suppression of 12kV according IEC 60664-1. Avago's FO short link technology allows galvanic isolation on one PCB where previously separate transmitter/receiver pairs on two PCBs were linked by plastic optical fibre for isolation. The HFBR-3810Z enables more compact designs to be realised.
 
FO short link devices are claimed to have creepage and clearance specifications greater than existing optocoupler devices and offer superior galvanic isolation than transformer-based technology.
 
Furthermore, fibre technology has excellent EMI resistance and EMC characteristics. The Avago HFBR-3810Z short link transmitter/receiver operates reliably in high-noise environments common in high-voltage switching and motor control equipment and systems. The DC coupled data link does not require data encoding or digitising circuitry, and the FO receiver has a CMOS/TTL output for easy interface design.
 
For more information, visit www.avagotech.com